Updates to My Educational Technology Philosophy

My personal concept of educational technology has evolved greatly since the start of this course. Granted, educational technology is generally thought of as the use of technology to facilitate learning along with the various technological resources and materials available. However, I feel that it is all in how that multitude of resources is used that makes it what it is.

When it comes to learning, I strongly believe that all children can learn but they learn differently. I can apply that same train of thought to educational philosophy. All educators can utilize it, but they utilize it differently. Personally, my educational background is strongly grounded in traditionalist ideals. For this reason, a lot of the technology I use in the classroom is teacher centered.

As I explore the optional means of incorporating technology into the classroom, my methods change. For instance, when I understood the concept of wikis and gained an appreciation of their usefulness, I began to think of ways in which they could be worked into my classroom. Another useful tool would be a classroom blog. The ways in which we can use technology to bolster learning is limitless.

Blog Reflection Six

As of late, technology is infused in every aspect of our lives and education is no exception. I think that podcasts have a secure future in education. Once we, as educators, understand how simple they are then things will really take off. Personally, I thought podcasts would require a lot of rigmarole and equipment or programs but all I needed was content and some place to put it. Now, the possibilities are limitless.

This week’s article discussed podcasts as supplemental classroom material. I can record stories, give instructions, and practice phonics. The podcasts can be utilized by students in the classroom. More so, I anticipate parents utilizing the podcasts. Oftentimes, parents have some misgivings when working at home with their child. One difficulty I always had was my son’s complaining that I was doing it wrong. I can still hear him saying, “Mr. Bridges doesn’t do it that way!” Instructions via podcasts would be so helpful and would eliminate parents from having to deal with that same battle.

I’m excited at all of the prospective ways in which to use podcasts to help my students academically. By embracing technology, we are empowering ourselves and our students at the same time.

Blog Reflection Five

 

Blog Reflection 5

To say that this week’s technology project was enlightening is quite an understatement. It showed me how really ignorant I am when it comes to the internet. I definitely appreciated the crash course in critically analyzing information.

I bombed miserably on the tech savvy quiz. I scored three of them correctly but was not upset about how poorly I did. Instead, after I was able to digest all that I did not know, I was excited to put it to use. The meta-web activities were interesting. I looked at the All About Explorers site. I assumed at first glance that the site was chock full of biographies and other random facts about world explorers. I looked at the domain and it was unfamiliar. I had never heard of it but the byline said that it was everything one needed to know about explorers. I just knew I would bookmark this site for later use.

I saw that the extension was .com and noticed that this blog was powered by WordPress. That was familiar since my blog is on WordPress. I looked at the about the authors section and saw that the site authors, Gerald Aungst and Lauren Zucker, were educators. The site also was linked to sites affiliated with education. In the search engines this site came up usually third. I saw a good number of advertisements for the Ford Explorer. I thought that was interesting. I figured more people were looking for a vehicle than for Lewis and Clark.

This site was created in May of 2003. Upon further exploration, the site is actually filled purposely with bogus information about explorers in order to teach students how to discern the information they find on the internet. This information is based on the meta-web information and the about this site link. The website is for educational purposes although it was highly entertaining. The “cover” stories about the site authors were hilarious.

This exercise was outside of my comfort zone. I first looked at it a couple of days ago and quickly double clicked on the X to close it. My beau had to explain some of the information I found on the easywhois search to me. I put my blog information in to search and got even more confused with what I found. He set up the shell for it. I just post! Anyway, he used shopping terms to get me to understand terms like platform and host. This new learning experience gave me an opportunity to process and to actually understand the material and not just familiarize myself with new terminology.

Blog Reflection Four

After reading the chapter, Is it Age or IT: First Steps Towards Understanding the Net Generation, I laughed at how much of my life I have given over to technology, some begrudgingly. For instance, I prefer composing documents longhand but depending on the task it can sometimes be easier to do in on the computer. I remember only certain phone numbers. I remember the number to my son’s high school because it was the same when I attended. I remember an old classmate’s number because the first two digits are his year of birth and the last are the year after I graduated high school. I take my devices with me wherever I can get away with it and to some places where I should not. When I awake, I grab my smart phone to see if anyone texted, emailed or sent a Facebook message. I play at least five or six games of Words with Friends at any given moment.

Even with all of my technological activities, I still will comb the library for a good book to read. I love the feel of the pages. I have postage stamps in my wallet. I buy stationary and greeting cards for letter writing. I read magazines and news papers and I play sodoku in a little paperback book that I grab at the dollar store. I fall into both categories. I do not think I will ever totally give in to technology.

The author indicates that overwhelming Net Gen students with technology is not what we should be doing. We need to not assume that they will learn better with the use of technology because what we typically consider technology, they do not. Because of the inordinate amount of time they spend in cyber space, they lack human interaction. We should try to provide a healthy balance and not over-do it with technology.

 

Reflection Three

An assessment for Learning develops learners’ capacity for self-assessment so that they can become reflective and self-managing.

I could most identify with the above AFL principle because it focuses on the importance of betterment of self. Reading this article really enlightened my thoughts about portfolios, electronic or otherwise. I have never considered the three purposes of the portfolio and therefore never utilized them to my advantage. All three of the uses could be an extreme benefit to me as a teacher.

I have done several portfolio assignments for the sake of “getting it done.” With this newfound understanding, I intend to use the electronic portfolio from this class as a means of furthering my learning and professional development rather than simply earning the points toward my final course grade. I have kept many things over the course of my college career but they are scattered haphazardly on disc drives, an old laptop computer and a couple of shelves in my home office.

Currently without a permanent teaching spot, I will also use the portfolio as a marketing tool. I have felt inferior in several interviews as I sat in the waiting area listening to other candidates speak of portfolios. I still did not bother to use one. I felt intimidated by it, perhaps. It seemed such a daunting task but now it seems more like a must. My perspective has definitely changed.

Reflection Two

The question about information available on the internet made me laugh and think of the commercial in which the girl is standing out on the sidewalk talking to a guy and she tells him that they cannot put anything on the internet that is not true. The commercial ends with her leaving for an outing with her ‘French model’ date that strikingly resembles a caveman. It is funny but it is very sad because a lot of people actually believe that whatever is found on the internet is indisputably correct.  In my personal searching, I will be more diligent in considering sources and credentials. The information I have used in the past for previous papers and other projects was pretty sound. My previous professors scared me with plagiarism and credibility nightmares to ensure that I proceeded with utmost caution.

I do not want to use scare tactics to convey the seriousness but our future students could end up oblivious to the ills of the internet like the girl in the commercial if not taught correctly how to discern what they come across online. They risk compromising themselves and their work.

Yes, I did see the advantages of using a social bookmarking tool to organize my information. I used Dropbox. It seemed easy and since I am not very techno-savvy, I chose it for this reason. I liked the fact that it can be accessed by others and I really like that it is on my desktop, accessible by a simple click. I can use these tools in the future for classroom needs, such as turning in homework, parent correspondence and networking with peers.

Reflection One

Having written down my educational philosophy will allow me to grow and to comfortably add technological components to it in the near future.  I do not feel as though I am an informator, however, I would like to become one by providing my students with the knowhow and means to not only successfully obtain knowledge and information through available technologies but to put it to use to make a significant difference.

The use of blogging will be helpful in broadening my knowledge in how to better incorporate technology into the classroom without over focusing on it. I want to use it as a change agent. Downes’ article was informative and insightful. I do not believe we have truly reached the potential as most persons tend to not really understand what blogs really are and how useful they can be. Educators, especially, need to be made aware.

 

The item that stood out most for me in November’s article was that students need to learn how to decipher information and validate it. It stood out because even as adults, we sometimes believe things without validation. We must be mindful of media manipulation and blatant untruths. The internet can be a valuable tool when used correctly. Critical thinking skills will come into play when trying to discriminate the vast amount of information found online.

My expectation of this class is to garner means of thinking outside of traditional perimeters when it comes to education and technology.